Minister says he has been advised not to meet residents until judge gives report to court

Stephanie Meehan: KBC Bank sent a letter to Ms Meehan after her partner’s death which said “interest would continue to accrue until the account had been redeemed in full”. The bank has since retracted. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has said he will say nothing on Priory Hall until mediation is complete and the issue is back before the courts next month. Mr Hogan said in Dublin yesterday that he did not want anyone “to get off the hook”. He added he had also been advised not to meet any residents from the evacuated development in Donaghmede until Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan reports on October 15th.

“Judge Finnegan must report to the court,” Mr Hogan said. “I have not seen anything from Judge Finnegan, he has to report to the court and I understand the day they should have that report is the 15th of October. I am not the one who is before the court. Judge Finnegan was asked by the court to carry out this mediation, and you’ll see the result of it at the same time as I will.”

Dublin City Council last night declined to comment on the situation at Priory Hall. “The resolution process involving the residents of Priory Hall and being chaired by Judge Finnegan is a confidential matter and as such Dublin City Council is not in a position to disclose any of the content of its deliberations at this time,” the council said in a statement.

On Sunday, KBC Bank said it would no longer pursue Stephanie Meehan for any balance on her mortgage for her Priory Hall apartment.

Ms Meehan’s partner Fiachra Daly took his own life in July and in a recent letter to the Taoiseach, Ms Meehan said pressure to pay arrears on the apartment – in which they had not been able to live for the past two years – appeared to be a factor in his death.

KBC Bank sent a letter to Ms Meehan on August 28th highlighting arrears plus interest due on the mortgage of the couple’s apartment and said “interest would continue to accrue until the account had been redeemed in full”.

However two days ago, it said it would not be pursuing Ms Meehan or Mr Daly’s estate for any outstanding balance on the mortgage.

Last night the State’s other main banks said that their case-by-case position on those with mortgages on apartments in Priory Hall remained unchanged since they made presentations before the Oireachtas finance committee last week.